Black holes are staples of science fiction and many think astronomers have observed them indirectly. But according to a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, these awesome breaches in space-time do not and indeed cannot exist.

Over the past few years, observations of the motions of galaxies have shown that some 70% the Universe seems to be composed of a strange 'dark energy' that is driving the Universe's accelerating expansion.

George Chapline thinks that the collapse of the massive stars, which was long believed to generate black holes, actually leads to the formation of stars that contain dark energy. "It's a near certainty that black holes don't exist," he claims.

Black holes are one of the most celebrated predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity, which explains gravity as the warping of space-time caused by massive objects. The theory suggests that a sufficiently massive star, when it dies, will collapse under its own gravity to a single point.

But Einstein didn't believe in black holes, Chapline argues. "Unfortunately", he adds, "he couldn't articulate why." At the root of the problem is the other revolutionary theory of twentieth-century physics, which Einstein also helped to formulate: quantum mechanics.

Science just keeps screwing up the best science fiction. First they told me that laser-guns and explosions in space wouldn't make any noise. And that faster-than-light travel wasn't possible, and even near-light travel would screw up peoples' ages relative to each other. That you couldn't have gravity on a ship to let you walk around, etc. Now this?

Every time I try to grasp quantum physics, event horizons, black holes and super-dense dark matter, my head starts to explode and I have to go find something I can deal with like digging a posthole or sorting my socks.

15
posted on 03/31/2005 4:54:52 PM PST
by Publius6961
(The most abundant things in the universe are ignorance, stupidity and hydrogen)

yeah im not buying this. I need to see some equations and evidence before I believe any of this. I have a background in physics and I get the impression that he doesnt understand some aspects about general relativity. The problem with quantum mechanics at the boundary comes most likely from the fact that we have no theory of gravitational quantum mechanics. I've noticed that some physicists when they cant explain something like to say its because of dark matter/energy

And isn't it nice to know that scientists are willing to admit that they don't know it all?

Yes it is, and you often see it with astronomers, who also have a little-kid-excited attitude lots of times. The anti-ID folks in the life sciences just don't seem to have the same curiosity and humility, but I guess being grim defenders of Western Civilization against the Creationist Theocrats doesn't leave much room for fun.

I'm shattered. I mean, when you can't put your faith in an object of zero dimension, infinite surface gravity and incalculable spin connected by an instantaneous link to another point in the universe, what CAN you put your faith in?

19
posted on 03/31/2005 5:04:04 PM PST
by Starve The Beast
(I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused)

I don't know from this stuff, but when I look up at night, what I see are white holes. Whatever is out there is black, and there's a whole bunch of it. Except there are these little white holes in it in the shapes of bears and crabs and stuff. I think these might be primitive sky drawings done by asteroid men whose only tool was the "pin."

Socks are the larval form of wire coathangers. Every time a sock disappears from your washing machine, a wire coathanger appears in your closet. This is why, every six months or so, you have to grab a big handful of them and throw them out, lest they take over your closet.

Every time I try to grasp quantum physics, event horizons, black holes and super-dense dark matter, my head starts to explode and I have to go find something I can deal with like digging a posthole>/b> or sorting my socks.

Post-Hole Digger = "PhD".

So what don't you understand? :-)

Cheers!

42
posted on 03/31/2005 6:55:30 PM PST
by grey_whiskers
(The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)

yeah im not buying this. I need to see some equations and evidence before I believe any of this. I have a background in physics and I get the impression that he doesnt understand some aspects........noticed that some physicists when they cant explain something like to say its because of dark matter/energy

Damn it... your forcing me to do this but...... ok

43
posted on 03/31/2005 7:02:30 PM PST
by Dick Vomer
(liberals suck......... but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is.)

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